"So, what is the matter, Detective?" Professor Bedwen asked Jack when they sat in his office.
Jack told him it would be a private conversation, a serious one concerning Dana, and now they were sitting there with a tray of steaming tea and a box of chocolates.
"I came to tell you of my intention to marry Dana," Jack said, looking the professor straight into the eyes. It wouldn't do to show this man any fear or hesitation. "After her graduation."
"I see," Professor Bedwen said, stirring the sugar in his tea. The clinking sound was rhythmical, playing on Jack's nerves. Professor Bedwen took out the spoon, put it on the saucer, and took a sip, holding the cup in his right hand while his left hand drummed a rhythm on the desk.
This was a coping mechanism, universal to magicals of both polar
